Training Opportunities

October 5 and 6, 3

If you have questions or want to reserve a space, please email

         londa.posvistak@smes.org        

Announcements:

Passwords: Thanks for a Great Job!

I was going to talk about the need to change passwords but our server "decided' to implement the change earlier than planned. So I'd like to tell you this story instead.

This is the first year we've required students from grades 6-12 to use the same password rules the staff have used these past 3 years. Every time I heard a complaint ("Why are you doing this to us?", "This is tooooo hard to remember", "I hate the new password rules!", I would tell students that the adults have been doing this for three years now, with great success and much less grumbling. Do you know what their response is? Silence. So, I want to applaud you all for outperforming the kids in the areas of password creation, remembering your passwords, and keeping your opinions to yourself!

If you'd like to know why we require more complicated passwords, here is an article that was included in the Tech Gazette last September. http://www.smes.org/classes/yokota/September2003.htm

Tech Tips

Printers 101

Most everyone has a printer nearby but sometimes, that printer isn't doing what it's supposed to be doing: printing! While there are certainly technical issues that require complex servicing, most printer problems can be resolved by the user. Here are a few easy troubleshooting tips designed to keep stress and blood pressure levels at a reasonable level:

1) Feeding Schedule: Just like people, printers need "food". This includes paper in the printer and filled ink cartridges. Please check to make sure the printer has both. If you need cartridges, visit the Bookstore with the cartridge number.  Keri Holden, Bookstore Lady Extraordinaire, can get you a replacement.

2) Energy Level: Printers don't do very well if they aren't plugged in properly. This sounds pretty basic but make sure your printer is turned on. Next, there are 2 plugs you need to pay particular attention to: the end that goes into an electrical outlet and the cord that attaches to your computer.  Some printers have a 3rd connection - the blue or gray network connection. You can unsnap each end and snap in again firmly to make sure everything is connected properly.

3) Congestion: Networks are funny things and sometimes, it gets backed up and unresponsive. One of the most important things you can do on a weekly basis is to turn your computer AND printer off, wait a few seconds, then turn both on again. This will re-connect the computer-printer line almost 80% of the time and you'll hear the joyful sound of your printer producing print jobs.

4) Mistaken Identity: Which printer did you print to? Did you notice? Did you select your printer? Sometimes, we automatically push "print" without realizing there may be more than one printer connected to the computer or that the printer that's connected is the wrong model. I've been in the US Lab and discovered lots of things in the printer here: tests, review materials, email, assignments, etc. Be attentive to selecting your printer of choice. Use the File > Print commands (or Ctrl + P) rather than the printer icon button   so you can choose which printer you send your job to.

6) Time Outs: Sometimes, when your printer isn't printing, it may be due to someone "pausing" it or telling it to "print offline". You can easily check the settings by going to your Start button > printers & faxes > double click on your printer to open it up > click on File or Document, and see if the pause or offline command is checked. If it is, simply click on that command and it will become unchecked. Close the printer box and your printer should resume printing.

How To:  Mail Merge

History World

To get the most out of this website, view the demos first. They're very short, only a couple of minutes long but well worth the time. The first video is "Finding the Right Story". It will help you use the search engine and the give you the knowledge of how to find exactly what you are looking for. The second video, "Using and Making Timelines",  will walk you through the ideal way to make and use their timeline information.

If you just want to explore the site, you can try TOURS to travel through time on your own selection of interconnecting trails. Use WHATWHENWHERE to discover what was going on at any moment. There are also a number of CURRICULUM TIMELINES."

For you competitive history buffs, there is the Whizz Quiz. "Whizz Quizz is an online game in which you can pit your speed and skill against other competitors. A new challenge starts every hour on the hour. If you are the fastest so far, you feature on the Home Page as Whizzard of the Hour." On the homepage you will see two example questions of what it is like, and then you can click the Play Whizz Quiz button and be off to quiz land.

http://www.historyworld.net/

worldstart.com

Technology Assistance
If you need help with technology, call the helpline at ext. 697 or email help@smes.org .
               Provide as detailed description of the problem as you can, and include the best times for someone to come by.